Cloud computing relates to the sharing of computing resources that are generally accessed via the Internet. In particular, cloud computing infrastructure allows users to access a shared pool of computing resources, such as servers, storage devices, networks, applications, and/or other computing based services. By doing so, users, such as individuals and/or enterprises, are able to access computing resources on demand that are located at remote locations in order to perform a variety computing functions that include storing and/or processing computing data. For users, cloud computing provides flexibility in accessing cloud computing resources without accruing up-front costs, such as purchasing network equipment, and investing time in establishing a private network infrastructure. Instead, by utilizing cloud computing resources, enterprise users are able redirect their resources to focus on core enterprise functions.
In today's communication networks, examples of cloud computing services a user may utilize include software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) technologies. SaaS is a delivery model that provides software as a service rather than an end product. Instead of utilizing local network or individual software installations, software is typically licensed on a subscription basis, hosted on a remote machine, and accessed as needed. For example, users are generally able to access a variety of enterprise and/or information technology (IT) related software via a web browser. PaaS acts an extension of SaaS that goes beyond providing software services by offering customizability and expandability features to meet a user's needs. For example, PaaS can provide a cloud based developmental platform for users to develop, modify, and/or customize applications and/or for automating enterprise operations without maintaining network infrastructure and/or allocating computing resources normally associated with these functions.
Within the context of automating enterprise, IT, and/or other organization-related functions (e.g., human resources (HR)), PaaS and SaaS often respond to incoming user requests by providing concurrent threads of execution, each of which may respond to an individual request, while maintaining per-user information access. These requests often require different types of searches, calculations or modifications of data stored in large databases. As a result of this environment, database applications utilized by web environments generally are required to logically maintain numbers of large result sets, and to be able to perform multiple types of calculations or insertions with high efficiency to maintain a reasonable performance level for the users. Innovative tools are needed to assist in effective control and analysis of this data within computer and communication network environments. Such tools may include tools for suggesting indexes for relational databases.